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A newly filed lawsuit alleges Hawthorne police officers beat and used a Taser on a deaf man as he tried to sign that he couldn't hear them during a confrontation last year. Our report from the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. (Published Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014)

A newly filed lawsuit alleges officers from the Hawthorne Police Department beat a deaf man and shocked him with a Taser as he tried to sign that he couldn't hear.

The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness filed the lawsuit this week on behalf of a deaf man from Manhattan Beach, claiming the officers committed a civil rights violation under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act during a confrontation last year.

According to the man's lawyer, the incident happened Feb. 13, 2013, when Jonathan Meister made arrangements to pick up a few belongings from his friend's home on the 3550 block of 147th Street in Hawthorne.

A neighbor apparently mistook Meister for a thief and called police. The neighborhood, according to a police report, had experienced a recent rash in burglaries.

When officers responded to the area, Meister allegedly motioned to the officers that he was deaf.

The suit alleges that Hawthorne police failed to take appropriate steps to communicate effectively with him or furnish appropriate auxiliary aids throughout the course of the confrontation.

Deaf advocates feel the incident involving Meister shows the need for law enforcement to be better trained in areas such as understanding sign language.

In a statement to NBC4, the Hawthorne Police Department would not comment on this case specifically, but said in part:

"Hawthorne Police Department officers are trained to deal with incidents where communication, for various reasons, can sometimes be difficult. Officers make every effort to communicate effectively and bring every one of these incidents to a peaceful resolution.

"In almost all cases, it is the person’s behavior and actions who we contact that dictate police response rather than the communication barriers present. That is certainly the case in this specific matter."